Rack insert for dishwashers

ABSTRACT

A rack insert for a dishwasher including a wavy bar with receptacles configured to receive a neck section of a bottle and a strut disposed at a distance from the wavy bar. The strut has tines extending upright therefrom and configured to support the bottle or another item to be washed. The rack insert is configured to be hung onto a bottom of a dishwasher rack such that the bottle has a slanted position relative to the strut and the tines.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2007/001720, filed on Feb. 28, 2007, and claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2006 012 503.7, filed on Mar. 16, 2006. The International Application was published in German on Sep. 20, 2007 as WO 2007/104430 A1 under PCT Article 221(2).

FIELD

The invention relates to a rack insert for a dishwasher, having a wavy bar onto whose receptacles the neck section of a bottle, preferably a baby bottle, can be placed.

BACKGROUND

European patent application EP 1 356 761 A2 describes a dishwasher rack in which a glass holder with a wavy profile is provided. The wavy profile serves especially to hold tall glasses that can be placed into the individual receptacles of the glass holder. However, this does not provide for a support on the opposite side.

U.S. Patent Appln. 2005/0242046 describes an auxiliary rack to accommodate long items for a dishwasher, whereby said auxiliary rack can be inserted into a bar and attached there. The auxiliary rack has a smooth lattice structure on which several rows of short rods extend upright in order to prevent the items placed there from slipping during the dishwashing operation. However, this auxiliary rack is not suitable for securing bottles.

German patent application DE 10 2004 008 118 A1 describes a dishwasher rack for a dishwasher having an insert into which bottles can be placed. For this purpose, in the bottom area of the insert, ring-shaped receptacles are provided that are fitted with holding elements for securing the neck of a bottle. However, the individual holding elements only match a specific bottle neck diameter.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a rack insert for a dishwasher that is simple in design and that is suitable for holding bottles in the dishwasher rack.

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a rack insert for a dishwasher including a wavy bar including a plurality of receptacles each configured to receive a neck section of a bottle and a strut disposed at a distance from the wavy bar. The strut has a plurality of tines extending upright therefrom and configured to support the bottle or another item to be washed. The rack insert is configured to be hung onto a bottom of a dishwasher rack such that the bottle has a slanted position relative to the strut and the tines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment making reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dishwasher rack with a rack insert according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the dishwasher rack of FIG. 1 filled with a different load;

FIG. 3 is a perspective detailed view of the rack insert.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to the invention, at a distance from the wavy bar, there is a strut fitted with tines extending upright in order to laterally support the bottle or another item that is to be washed. As a result, bottles of different sizes can be placed between the strut and the wavy bar, since the lateral support provided by the tines and the strut allows a certain leeway. Moreover, the rack insert can also be used flexibly for items other than just bottles, for which there is only a need for a lateral support on one side.

For purposes of achieving a simple assembly of the rack insert, it can be hung onto a bottom insert of the dishwasher rack. As a result, existing dishwasher racks can easily be retrofitted with the rack insert. If the wavy bar can be hung onto the bottom of a dishwasher rack in such a way that the bar can be used as a base for the items that cover the receptacles, then the wavy bar can serve to laterally support bottles and also as a base, so that it remains easy to load the dishwasher rack. The rack insert can be hung onto the bottom of a dishwasher rack in such a way that a bottle is in a somewhat slanted position relative to the strut and the tines.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wavy bar forms receptacles that wrap around less than half of the neck section of a bottle. As a result, the receptacle can serve as a base element, but without being limited to the specific diameter of the bottle neck.

In order to quickly assemble the rack insert, it can have at least one hook that is open on the side as well as one hook that is open towards the bottom. Then the rack insert can be simply hung onto existing struts of the dishwasher rack. In order to achieve a sturdy design of the rack insert, the wavy bar and the strut having the tines can be connected via several cross struts. A hook for hanging purposes can be shaped onto opposite ends of each of these cross struts.

The dishwasher rack 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a bottom 2 on which items to be washed can be placed, whereby the bottom 2 is lattice-shaped and surrounded by an encircling side wall 3. On the bottom 2 of the dishwasher rack 1, there is a rack insert comprising a wavy bar 4 whose individual undulations form receptacles 5. The neck of a bottle 6 can be placed on these receptacles 5.

On the side opposite from the wavy bar 4, the bottle 6 rests on a strut 7 fitted with tines 8 extending upright, whereby the bottle 6 can be at a certain slanted position relative to the strut 7 and the tines 8.

The wavy bar 4 and the strut 7 are connected to each other via cross struts 9 that have a first hook 10 and a second hook 11 on their ends. Hook 10 is curved in such a way that it is open on the side, whereas hook 11 is open towards the bottom. The rack insert can be hung onto the lattice-shaped bottom 2 of the dishwasher rack 1 by means of the hooks 10 and 11, whereby the hooks 10 are first hung onto one lengthwise strut of the bottom 2 on the side of the wavy bar 4, and then the rack insert is swiveled in such a way that the hooks 11 engage from above with another lengthwise strut.

In FIG. 2, the dishwasher rack 1 is shown filled with a different load comprising a cup 16 rather than bottles 6. The cup 16 has a larger circumference than the necks of the bottles 6 so that the wavy bar 4 serves as a base and, on the opposite side, the strut 7 with the tines 8 is used to laterally support the cup 16. The cups 16 can then also be securely held in the dishwasher rack 1.

FIG. 3 shows the rack insert in a detailed view. The bottle 6 has a tapered bottle neck 60 and is configured, for example, as a baby bottle. The bottle neck 60 can be inserted between the wavy bar 4 and the strut 7 and is thus held stably during the dishwashing operation. The cup 16 is arranged adjacent to the bottle, it is placed onto the wavy bar 4 and it is supported on the tines 8 on the strut 7. Consequently, the cup 16 can also be placed securely onto the rack insert.

In the embodiment shown here, the distance between the wavy bar 4 and the strut 7 is configured to be equal, so that the receptacles 5 are provided for certain sizes of bottle necks. However, it is also possible to vary the distance between the wavy bar 4 and the strut 7 so that different sized bottles can be accommodated on the rack insert.

In the embodiment shown, each receptacle 5 is associated with two tines 8 on the strut 7 so that a bottle 6 can be laid against the two tines 8, where it is securely held. The tines 8 have a length of more than 4 cm, preferably more than 6 cm, so that even taller bottles 6 can be supported. 

1-9. (canceled)
 10. A rack insert for a dishwasher, comprising: a wavy bar including a plurality of receptacles each configured to receive a neck section of a bottle, and a strut disposed at a distance from the wavy bar, the strut having a plurality of tines extending upright therefrom and configured to support the bottle or another item to be washed wherein the rack insert is configured to be hung onto a bottom of a dishwasher rack such that the bottle has a slanted position relative to the strut and the tines.
 11. The rack insert as recited in claim 10, wherein the bottle is a baby bottle.
 12. The rack insert as recited in claim 10, wherein the receptacles of the wavy bar are configured to wrap around less than half of the neck section of the bottle.
 13. The rack insert as recited in claim 10 wherein the wavy bar is configured to be hung onto the bottom of the dishwasher rack so as to provide a base for items that cover the receptacles.
 14. The rack insert as recited in claim 12 wherein the wavy bar is configured to be hung onto the bottom of the dishwasher rack so as to provide a base for items that cover the receptacles.
 15. The rack insert as recited in claim 10 further comprising at least one first hook open towards a bottom and at least one second book open towards a side.
 16. The rack insert as recited in claim 12 further comprising at least one first hook open towards the bottom and at least one second hook open towards a side of the dishwasher rack.
 17. The rack insert as recited in claim 13 further comprising at least one first hook open towards the bottom and at least one second hook open towards a side of the dishwasher rack.
 18. The rack insert as recited in claim 14 further comprising at least one first hook open towards the bottom and at least one second hook open towards a side of the dishwasher rack.
 19. The rack insert as recited in claim 10 further comprising a plurality of cross struts connecting the strut and the wavy bar.
 20. The rack insert as recited in claim 12 further comprising a plurality of cross struts connecting the strut and the wavy bar.
 21. The rack insert as recited in claim 13 further comprising a plurality of cross struts connecting the strut and the wavy bar.
 22. The rack insert as recited in claim 15 further comprising a plurality of cross struts connecting the strut and the wavy bar.
 23. The rack insert as recited in claim 19 wherein opposite ends of the cross struts include hooks configured to hang the rack insert.
 24. The rack insert as recited in claim 22 wherein the cross struts each include a first hook at one end and a second hook at an opposite end.
 25. The rack insert as recited in claim 10 wherein each of the receptacles is associated with two of the times.
 26. The rack insert as recited in claim 10 wherein the tines have a length of at least 4 cm.
 27. The rack insert as recited in claim 26 wherein the tines have a length of at least 6 cm. 